Brainstorm of ideas by Stephen Miller, Little Falls, MN:
Have your city/county put Friends membership applications in utility bills.
Have varying levels of membership fees (e.g., basic membership, family, group, 5-year membership, etc.).
Provide a ($2.00) voucher against library fines upon joining the Friends.
Sponsor a gala event (sell table settings and have donors decorate the tables themselves, serve a gourmet meal, provide live music).
Provide online membership applications (would require online payment).
Sponsor a spelling bee (or a pop quiz game like Trivial Pursuit, perhaps Stump the Librarian!) for adults (teams would have sponsors donating money).
Sponsor a family movie night.
Partner with a local bookstore to get a discount coupon at the bookstore for joining the Friends group.
Sponsor a community-wide read.
Sponsor a golf tournament to benefit the Friends.
Allow members of the Friends group to shop early at book sales.
Provide library book bags to those who join the Friends group at a certain $ level.
Pay for a ¼ page ad in the local paper.
Make coming to Friends meetings a requirement of membership (e.g., don’t encourage not coming to meetings).
Send out letters to members reminding them of the meeting date.
